as he who never had Titles, or from whom they are taken. I have an eye in the last of these glorious appellations to the Qtyle of a Lord degraded or attainted: methinks they give him a better title than they deprive him of, in calling him Labourer: Agricultura, fays Tully, proxima Sapientia, which is more than can be said, by most modern Nobility, of Grace or Right Honourable, which are often proxima Stultitia. The Great Turk, you know, is often a Gardener, or of a meaner trade and are there not (my Lord) fome circumstances in which you would resemble the Great Turk? The two Paradifes are not ill connected, of Gardens and Gallantry; and fome there are (not to name my Lord B.) who pretend they are both to be had, even in this life, without turning Muffel-men.

We have as little politics here within a few miles of the Court (nay perhaps at the Court) as you at South. ampton: and our Ministers, I dare fay, have less to do. Our weekly histories are only full of the feasts given to the Queen and Royal Family by their fervants, and the long and laborious walks her Majefty takes every morning. Yet if the graver Hiftorians hereafter shall be filent of this year's events, the amorous and anecdotical may make posterity some amends, by being furnished with the gallantries of the Great at home; and 'tis fone comfort, that if the Men of the next age do not read of us, the Women may.

From the time you have been abfent, I've not been to wait on a certain great man, thro' modefty, thro' idleness, and thro' refpect. But for my comfort I fan

cy,

that any great man will as foon forget one that does him no harm, as he can one that has done him any good. Believe me, my Lord, yours.

I

LETTER XXXIV. .

From the Earl of PETERBOROW.

Muft confefs, that in going to Lord Cobham's I was not led by curiosity. I went thither to fee what I had seen, and what I was fure to like.

I had the idea of those gardens fo fix'd in my imagination by many defcriptions, that nothing furprized me; Immensity and Van Brugh appear in the whole, and in every part. Your joining in your letter animal and vegetable beauty, makes me use this expreffion: I confess the stately Sachariffa at Stow, but am content with my little Amoret.

I thought you indeed more knowing upon the fubject, and wonder at your mistake; why will you inagine women infenfible to Praise, much less to yours? I have feen them more than once turn from their Lo. ver to their Flatterer. I am fure the Farmerefs at Bevis in her highest mortifications, in the middle of her Lent*, would feel emotions of vanity, if the knew you gave her the character of a reasonable woman.

You have been guilty again of another mistake, which hinder'd me fhewing your letter to a friend ; when you join two ladies in the fame compliment, tho'

The Countess of Peterborow, a Roman catholic.

you gave to both the beauty of Venus and the wit of Minerva, you would please neither.

If you had put me into the Dunciad, I could not have been more difpofed to criticise your letter. What, Sir, do you bring it in as a reproach, or as a thing uncommon to a Court, to be without Politics? With politics indeed the Richlieu's and fuch folks have brought about great things in former days; but what are they, Sir, who, without policy, in our times, can make ten Treaties in a year, and fecure everlasting Peace?

I can no longer difagree with you, tho' in jeft. Oh how heartily I join with you in your contempt for Excellency and Grace, and in your Esteem of that most noble title, Loiterer. If I were a man of many plums, and a good heathen, I would dedicate a Temple to Laziness: No man fure could blame my choice of fuch a Deity, who confiders, that, when I have been fool enough to take pains, I always met with fome wife man able to undo my labours.

You

Your, &c.

LETTER XXXV.

U were in a very polemic humour when you did me the honour to answer my last. I always understood, like a true controvertit, that to anfwer is only to cavil and quarrel: however, I forgive you; you did it (as all Polemics do) to fhew your parts. Elfe was it not very vexatious, to deny me to commend two women at a time? It is true, my Lord,

you know women as well as men: but fince you certainly love them better, why are you fo uncharitable in your opinion of them? Surely one Lady may allow another to have the thing she herself leaft values, Reafon, when Beauty is uncontested. Venus herself could allow Minerva to be Goddess of Wit, when Paris gave her the apple (as the fool herself thought) on a betI do fay, that Lady P* is a reasonable woman; and, I think, she will not take it amifs, should infift upon esteeming her, instead of Toafting her, like a filly thing I could name, who is the Venus of these days. I fee you had forgot my letter, or would not let her know how much I thought of her in this reasonable way: but I have been kinder to you, and have fhewn your letter to one who will take it candidly.

ter account.

if I

But, for God's fake, what have you faid about Politicians you made me a great compliment in the trust you repofed in my prudence, or what mifchief might not I have done you with fome that affect that denomination? Your Lordship might as fafely have spoken of Heroes. What a blufter would the God of the winds have made, had one that we know puffed against Eolus, or (like Xerxes) whip'd the feas? They had dialogued it in the language of the Rehearsal.

I'll give him flash for flash,

I'll give him dafh for dash.

But all now is fafe; the Poets are preparing fongs of joy, and Halcyon-days are the word.

I hope, my Lord, it will not be long before your dutiful affection brings you to town. I fear it will a little raise your envy to find all the Mufes employed in celebrating a Royal work, which your own partiality will think inferior to Bevis-Mount. But if you have any inclination to be even with them, you need but put three or four Wits into any hole in your Garden, and they will out-rhyme all Eaton and Weftminfter. I think, Swift, Gay, and I could undertake it, if you don't think our Heads too expenfive: but the same hand that did the others, will do them as cheap. ▾ If all else should fail, you are fure at least of the head, hand, and heart of fervant.

your

Why should you fear any disagreeable news to reach

T

us at Mount-Bevis? Do as I do even within ten miles of London, let no news whatever come near you. As to public affairs we never knew a deader feafon: 'tis all filent, deep tranquillity. Indeed, they fay, 'tis fometimes fo juft before an Earthquake. But whatever happens, cannot we obferve the wife neutrality of the Dutch, and let all about us fall by the ears? Or if you, my Lord, fhould be prick'd on by any old fafhion'd notions of Honour and Romance, and think it neceffary for the General of the Marines to be in action, when our Fleets are in motion; meet them at Spithead, and take me along with you. I decline no danger where the glory of Great-Britain is concern'd; and will contribute to empty the largest bowl of punch that fhall be rigg'd out on fuch an occafion. *The Hermitage.